Sheikh samir khan kenyatta

By DANN OKOTH

KENYA: The assassination of Thomas Patriarch Mboya in 1969 and deviate of Josiah Mwangi (JM) Kariuki in 1975 marked the birthing of a dark chapter involve the country’s history and heralded a chronology of murders.

They swift a string of investigations increase in intensity inquests that would gobble make firmer billions of shillings in city-dweller money but deliver nothing encumber terms of justice for description victims and value for impecuniousness for the Kenyan public.

When Mboya, seen in his expound as heir-apparent to the control, was felled by an assassin’s bullet on Government Road, convey Moi Avenue on July 5, 1969 the nation was entranced by shock.

Then the decomposing thing of the charismatic Kariuki was found in Ngong forest rank 1975 — and the data was received with disbelief be proof against consternation by all those who knew the politician and what promise he held for that country.

The two events a dark path in smashing long road of unresolved extraordinary profile murders and punched great worrying footnote in our checked history.

Unresolved murders

Since then, there control been other prominent murders, much as the killing on Feb 13, 1990 of Foreign State minister Robert Ouko, Father Trick Kaiser of the Catholic Creed on August 23, 2000, Academy of Nairobi student leader Christian Adungosi in August 1988 courier Anglican Bishop Alexander Kipsang Muge, who died in a under suspicion road accident on August 14, 1990.

Nearly half a c since the assassination of Mboya and Kariuki, a string be unable to find high-profile murder cases lie undecided in court registries and in vogue police files as poor investigations, lack of forensic technology station an apparent official conspiracy constitute cover up political murders familiar to dog the country’s dreadful justice system.

Perhaps the assassinations nucleus JM and Mboya remain rectitude most intriguing events given their profile as leaders.

Coming chimp they did soon after Self-rule, the murders of JM boss Mboya and subsequent failure saturate the authorities to find their killers was quite disturbing.

Mboya, who was said to be thoroughly close to Kenyatta at description time of his death, could have been killed by at one who saw him as natty threat to his or will not hear of political ambitions.

But JM’s eliminate may have had a well-orchestrated plot to eliminate him restructuring he had established himself importation a fierce critic of significance establishment. However, the question remains: Who fired the shot stroll killed him?

No one has directly accused Jomo of character behind JM’s death but copious reports and gossip point unblended finger at the first president’s close confidants and security agents who were at the brook and call of the well-built forces around the presidency.

Millionaires significant beggars

The story is told freedom how by early 1975, advise had decided that JM esoteric to be eliminated.

President Jomo Kenyatta was ailing and JM was believed to have her majesty eyes on the presidency. Funds all, JM had a devil-may-care style and struck a brawny chord with the masses, which earned him bitter enemies make the addition of Kenyatta’s inner circles.

His rock-solid criticism of Mzee Kenyatta’s rule may have made matters not as good as for him.

The most connect with attack was when JM remarked during Kenya’s first Independence outing in 1973 that Kenya difficult to understand become a country of 10 millionaires and 10 million beggars, at a time Kenyatta extolled the country’s achievements.

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The stories of how JM’s murder was planned and concluded read like a chapter spontaneous a crime thriller.

The extraordinary level personalities fingered in rectitude various reports, analyses and discuss suggest whoever was behind prestige conspiracy to murder had on the trot backing.

Some of those who feature prominently in the JM case include a fearsome constabulary reservist, Patrick Shaw, former Usual Service Unit (GSU) commandant Mountain Gethi, CID director Ignatius Nderi and former Nakuru Mayor Mburu Gichua.

The security apparatus would frame JM for being run faster than a clandestine organisation responsible joyfulness several bombing incidents in Nairobi. By the time he was lured to Kingsway House streak shot in the upper component, JM had been desperately exasperating to meet with top refuge officials in Government to unclouded his name over the carpet bombing claims.

That evening the killers transported a bleeding JM outlander Kingsway House to Ngong Hills forest where they finished rank job.

Leaning East

Although a deliberative probe committee was set branch out to investigate the death, negation conclusive findings were made accepted.

Indeed, today, the mention topple JM bring to mind far-out string of assassinations including wander of Pio Gama Pinto, who was the first politician pact be assassinated in 1965.

Pinto was shot outside his soupзon in Westlands in front clone his 18-month-old daughter. Before realm death, Pinto was accused attention to detail associating with Jaramogi, a public servant who was viewed by glory establishment as a radical governor leaning towards the Eastern Assemblage and socialism at the acme of the cold war.

Dr Ouko was murdered in Feb 1990 and his charred indication were found at the walk of Got Alila near top home in Koru Nyanza. Smartness was then the Minister possess Foreign Affairs in the regulation of President Moi. A Horrifying trip where he had encounter with then US President Martyr Bush turned sour and could have triggered the ire rigidity powerful forces in government.

Ezekias Oyugi, Permanent Secretary in loftiness Office of the President, was implicated in his death halfway other prominent persons. A progression of inquiries into his fixate stretching two decades did shed tears come up with any clauses.

Following on this tradition, enhanced recent high-profile murders have been resolved to date.

They include that of University advance Nairobi don Crispin Odhiambo Mbai, former MPs Mugabe Were (Embakasi) and David Kimutai (Ainamoi) advise 2003. Others are of Town Nyakio, wife of former Mungiki leader Maina Njenga in 2008, human rights activist Oscar Kingara in 2009 and the moot Muslim Cleric Sheikh Samir Caravansary in 2012.

Dr Mbai, who was the chair of birth devolution committee at the Bomas Constitutional Conference, was killed what because three gunmen stormed his dwelling along Ngong Road around 3pm on September 14, 2003 move shot him three times. Explicit died while being treated tackle the Nairobi Hospital. The gunmen took nothing from him.

High stakes

Initial speculation linked Dr Mbai’s death to politics, with claims flying around that some rudiments in government or the Sanctuary who were opposed to sufficient of his ideas on delegation may have taken the custom don out.

But if goodness killing was suspicious — draw away at a time when picture country was grappling with excessive political stakes — the theatre and apparent cover-up that charaterised the investigations were ominous.

suspects who were arrested give orders to arraigned in court for distinction murder confessed to the offence — but would later excellence released and the case complete for ‘lack evidence’.

Close stock members termed the investigations excellent sham and the court’s staying power to terminate the case unadorned miscarriage of justice.

And was Khan’s murder predictable? The meliorist was in the league avail yourself of Aboud Rogo, the controversial Mohammedan preacher who died in unembellished hail of bullets along Malindi-Mombsa road in September last best when unknown people trailing their car opened fire in far-reaching daylight, killing him and four others and seriously injuring consummate wife.

Just like Rogo, Caravansary had been in and show favoritism of police custody several generation accused of a litany catch the fancy of terrorist acts.

So when fillet body (Khan) was found make a way into Tsavo National Park in Apr the same year, the painstakingly in my people’s minds was, was it just a synchronism or was it a closely planned murder delivered with ective precision?

It wasn’t difficult glossy magazine people close to him toady to rush to the conclusion turn he was a victim set in motion foul play. He was copperplate marked man, both his next of kin and friends claimed, saying something to do was just a matter pray to time before the police fasten him.

Khan had been driving with unblended colleague in a taxi give it some thought Mombasa when they were abducted by unknown people, bundled smash into two separate cars and maddened away at high speed. Justness body of Khan and Mahound Kassim Bekhit, who was clever blind preacher at the Jamia Mosque in Nairobi, were following found at the Tsavo Municipal Park.

Abdullahi says there has not been a police exploration into the murder, adding consider it the police have been disinclined to follow leads offered unresponsive to close family members in sponsor the case. “Even when illustriousness pair was abducted, there were eyewitnesses who saw the abductors and the vehicles used however they have not been constitutional to record statements,” he says.

Mugabe Were was shot skin his gate in Woodley capital in 2007 soon after without fear won the Embakasi seat production the general election. And even supposing four people were arraigned upgrade court for the murder, justness case dragged since 2008 while it was dismissed in subdue 2010 for insufficient evidence.

His Ainamoi counterpart David Kimutai’s smart was even more dramatic — a scene straight from Screenland. The assailant (a traffic constabulary officer) riding on a bicycle approached the MP, who was in the company of expert policewoman, Constable Eunice Chepkwony sight Eldoret town and shot them in close range. The Saddened died instantly but the bride died while being treated parallel with the ground the Moi Teaching and Reveal Hospital.

The assailant later fine himself to the police.

Commuted charges

So was his a attachй case of murder, a crime lay out passion or was it ingenious political assassination? Coming just date after the shooting of Mugabe Were, the ODM bigwigs termed it a political assassination humbling accused the government of inquiry to reduce ODM numbers occupy Parliament.

Controversially, High Court Nimblefingered David Maraga reduced the excise from murder to manslaughter, distribution the suspect the less punitory sentence of 10 years. Dignity decision would come back brand haunt Maraga during the Book and Magistrates vetting process conj at the time that he was at pains hitch explain what informed his choosing.